For the Hunter

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2015 Rick Smith Foundation Seminar

May 1st 2015 - 3rd, 2015

If you're looking for a better relationship with your dog, both at home and in the field, you've come to the right place. From puppy hood through finished bird dog, all the basic skills you and your dog will need are covered at this seminar. You will be trained to train your dog, with Rick’s guidance using his “Silent Command System”. From puppies to finished birddogs, there is something for everyone and every dog. The event dates are May 1st thru May 3rd 2015 and will be held at our facility,
Lion Country Supply, in
Port Matilda, PA, and at nearby Spring Lane Hunt Club. Everyone should bring his or her dog. Class size is limited to 25 participants and the cost is
$400. Call 1-800-662-5202 for more information or to register by phone today.

The Foundation Seminar begins with a slide presentation on Friday evening designed to overview the training process. Saturday and Sunday are spent all day in the field with you and your dog practicing training techniques that have been used for over 80 years by the
Rick Smith and his family. (Inclement weather will bring the seminar indoors for lecture, demonstration and slides.) There are plenty of opportunities for individual counseling ensures that every step is mastered before moving on to more advanced work. Areas to be covered are: laying the proper foundation, yard and field training, preventing and correcting faults, bird work, natural and force retrieving, and using both the check cord and electronic collar.

15th Annual Bird Dog Days

Please join us on September 19, 2015 for our annual customer appreciation event and help us celebrate our 41st year as the world's premier hunting dog supplier. Bird Dog Days 2015 will feature a tent sale and the opportunity to test fire some of the newest shotguns on the market. Josh Miller from Sport Dog will be on hand to answer your dog training questions. Several manufacturing representatives will be available to answer your questions. There will be door prize give-a-ways each hour.

2014 Rick Smith Seminar Recap

By John Sarver, LCS Warehouse Manager

This past weekend I had the privilege of attending the Rick Smith's Dog Training Seminar as a guest of Lion Country Supply. Wow, what an eye opener! Rick could not have been more gracious, humorous and informative.
His system is predicated upon three basic concepts: Go with me, come to me and be still. When people complain that their dog will not retrieve to hand, Rick thinks, "Sounds to me like you have a dog that will not come to you" If you have a dog that will not back Rick thinks, "Sounds to me like you have a dot that will not be still." Complain that your dog will not quarter: Rick thinks, "Sounds to me like your dog will not go with you."

The first step upon arriving was to put your dog on an LCS chain gang, a long chain staked to the ground with 18 inch tie out chains interspersed. This is learning to be still. If the dogs whine, bark or fight the chain Rick places a figure eight muzzle made of soft cotton rope on them. When the undesirable behavior stops the muzzle is removed. Many dogs complained, some more and for longer than others, but by the end of the day the silence on the chain gang was deafening and the dogs would just chill out and eagerly wait to see what came next.

The next step was go with me. This was accomplished first with the dog on a Wonder Lead. Have the dog walk with you, not ahead of you, turn with you and stop with you. A light pull and release is all that is ever needed. The wonder lead also establishes the contact point on the neck. This is important when you progress to the check cord and E-Collar. The key to every phase of training is consistency and repetition.

After enough reps with The Wonder Lead you progress to the check cord, same contact point on the neck and same cue of a light pull. Have the dog go with you in the field and as you quarter the dog quarters with you, after enough reps you graduate to the E-Collar.
The next step is come to me. The dog should already know how to be still. With the dog on a check cord have him be still, either sitting (flushing breeds) or standing (pointing breeds). Walk out the length of the check cord and cue him to come with a light pull.

The second day of the seminar was spent largely on the Whoa Post. This teaches them to be steady to flush. A soft cotton rope is secured to a post, half hitched around the dog's abdomen and attached to the D ring on the dog's collar. Allow some slack in the Whoa Post rope and attach a check cord to the collar D-ring. Walk to the end of the check cord and cue the dog to come. When the dog reached the end of the whoa post rope the half hitch forces the dog to stand still.

My dog was the only flushing dog at the seminar but Rick's system works for both flusher and pointers. A difference in the way the half hitch is applied establishes a different contact point which forces the pointers to stand and the flushers to sit. My recommendation is that you purchase Rick's DVDs, (The Silent Command System of Dog Training Volume 1 & 2) available at Lion country Supply.